As for Keuchel, the lefthander is one of five candidates for the final AL fan vote conducted at MLB.com. The Indians' Corey Kluber, the Tigers' Rick Porcello, the Angels' Garrett Richards (who had a career-high 11 strikeouts Sunday against the Astros), and the White Sox's Chris Sale are the other candidates selected by Red Sox manager John Farrell.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get (Keuchel) in the All-Star Game," Altuve said, "because he deserves to be there."

If that means he's planning to spend all the time he can online over the next few days, Altuve has until 3 p.m. Thursday to stuff the ballot box. There is also a chance Keuchel could replace an AL starter who throws on Sunday and is unable to pitch in the All-Star Game.

Translator

To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below.

While Altuve will be an AL representative for the first time, All-Star mainstay Robinson Cano of the Mariners will be the league's starter at second. Altuve was on the National League squad in 2012, the Astros' last year in the senior circuit.

"First of all, I want to thank all the players in Major League Baseball," said Altuve, who leads the American League with 122 hits and 38 stolen bases. "Obviously, I was a player selection. I want to thank all the fans that voted for me, too. This is really important, but one thing I have to say: I wouldn't have made this without my teammates and coaching staff."

Altuve's hit total leaves him one shy of Bob Watson's franchise record of 123 hits before the All-Star break in 1973. Also noteworthy is that he recently became the first major leaguer in 97 years to have four consecutive games with multiple stolen bases.

Joins Morgan, Biggio

Altuve, Hall of Famer Joe Morgan (1970) and Craig Biggio, who fell just two votes short of Hall of Fame election this year, are the only second basemen in franchise history to earn All-Star nods.

"You look at the numbers, and what it is (Altuve has) been able to do and the way he's impacted the game, he's put together one of the best first halves, I think, in the history of baseball," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "When you look at the hits and you look at again the way he impacts the game and helping the other players around him, he has done everything that an All-Star would be asked to do."

Keuchel, 26, is attempting to earn his first All-Star nod.

"It's a tremendous honor to even be mentioned as a potential All-Star," he said. "With the year that Altuve is having, our team can be very fun to watch at times, and it could be pretty painful at times.

"He's just been the most consistent player I've pretty much seen. He deserves nothing but the credit that he's getting. It's fun."

Good body of work

Despite being rocked for five runs and 13 hits in five innings in Friday's start against the Angels, Keuchel still has a 3.06 ERA to go with his 8-5 record. He was the AL Pitcher of the Month in May while helping the Astros to their first winning month since 2010.

"Dallas Keuchel has been our best pitcher the entire season," Porter said. "You look at that stretch that he went on where it was eight, nine innings every time he took the ball. When you look at his body of work, in my opinion he is an All-Star.

"I think it speaks volumes that … even though he wasn't on the initial team, he's one of the five players which have been selected to go to a fan vote. I encourage our fans to go out and vote. I'm pretty sure all of his teammates along with the coaching staff, we are going to vote for him. I hope that he is selected."